Ham, White Bean Risotto; shopping

Traditional Risotto con Fagioli would be made with Parma ham or Prosciutto.

I had baked ham so that’s what I used. That’s the best thing about risotto – anything (within reason) works.

For any of you who are new to making risotto….

Risotto should not be dry nor should it be like soup, but somewhere in-between.

It should be moist and creamy.

It continues to absorb liquid after removed from heat  and the leftovers (if any) will be quite stiff.

It’s a bit like making scrambled eggs – if you leave them on the heat until they look perfect you have left them on too long.

The risottos that we have eaten in northern Italy have all been served in soup plates (flattish bowls) and eaten with a spoon – not a fork.

One last thing – this recipe is for two but risotto doubles, triples, whatever very easily. Just do the math…..

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Ham, White Bean Risotto

Print Recipe

Ignore the pundits who imply risotto is difficult, fussy or time-consuming. It’s not. It’s the easiest dish I make.

• Author: Katie Zeller
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 2 servings 1x
• Category: risotto

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2/3 cup (4.2oz, 125gr) Arborio rice (or other rice specifically for risotto – Carnaroli or Vialone Nano)
• 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) dry, white wine
• 2 1/4 cups (18oz, 540ml) chicken stock
• 1 onion, chopped, divided
• 1 tbs butter
• 3/4 cup (2oz, 60gr) Parmesan cheese – freshly grated
• Condimenti:
• 8oz (240 gr) ham, cubed
• 1 cup (8oz, 240gr) tomatoes, peeled, chopped
• 15oz (450gr) white beans, (cannellini), rinsed, drained
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled, chopped
• 1 tbs olive oil

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Instructions

• Heat chicken stock and keep hot over low heat.
• In medium sauce pan heat butter.
• Add 1/2 of the onion and sauté until transparent
• Add rice and sauté, stirring, for 1 – 2 minutes until rice has white center.
• Add white wine and stir.
• Start condimenti.
• When wine is almost absorbed add a 1/3 cup of stock, stir.  (No need to stir constantly but do stir from time to time.)
• When stock is almost absorbed add another 1/3 cup and continue adding 1/3 cup at a time and stirring.
• Before you add the last 1/3 cup taste a few kernels of rice. They should be just ‘al dente’ – slightly resistant to the tooth but fully cooked.  If more stock is needed add it 1 tbs at a time and waiting until almost completely absorbed.  At this point risotto will be thick but not stiff – there will still be visible liquid and it will not hold it’s shape on a plate.
• Add the Parmesan and the condimenti, stir well, spoon into a bowl or risotto platter and serve immediately.
• Condimenti:
• While risotto is cooking, heat oil in small skillet.
• Add the rest of the onion, carrot, celery, and sauté until tender.
• Add ham, tomatoes to vegetables. Reduce heat and allow to simmer until tomatoes are well-cooked.
• Add white beans and heat through. Keep warm until needed for risotto.

Notes

Risotto is flexible – add any other leftovers you like.

Keywords: risotto, ham, beans

I spent the morning shopping.

Brexit shopping.

As most of the world knows unless something dramatic happens, Brexit is scheduled for the end of this month.

As most of the world knows, after two years of planning, absolutely nothing has been resolved.

There is nothing I can do about that.

I can, however, do some shopping.

If you are curious about why an American expat living in France is concerned with this very British situation it’s because I buy stuff there.

I can (and do) buy from Amazon US, France, Germany, Britain, Italy, and so on. It’s all dead easy, totally transparent and can be done without thought.

Except next month no one knows how it will work.

Now, if I want something, I check the price on Amazon UK and Amazon France, and buy which ever offers the best price. England doesn’t use the euro so, occasionally, the exchange rate fluctuates quickly enough or dramatically enough to make a difference in price.

Sometimes they just screw up…..

I have no idea if I will be paying extra taxes, custom fees, etc, as of April 1. If it’s complicated, the Marketplace sellers may just not bother.

Today, however, I was not shopping on Amazon…. I was buying yarn.

I decided there was no point in risking extra fees if I could do a little planning.

I spent the morning working out my projects for the next year, sort of, and ordered enough of the various yarns to keep me busy, I hope.

That should give me enough time to find a new source – or for Britain to sort out their future.

Yes, I know about AliExpress (great source for cashmere yarn) but I’m particularly fond of Malabrigo and the shop in England has a fantastic selection.

For now, I’m happy…. I hope.